Can I Trust You?
by LateNiteSlacker
Summary: A story about the first time a lost girl from Mizuho met a certain Chosen… (Sheena x Zelos)
1. Prologue

Title: Can I Trust You?

Author: Marika

Disclaimer: If I owned Tales of Symphonia or any of it's characters, Zelos would have already been with Sheena during the game.

Summary: A story about the first time a lost girl from Mizuho met a certain Chosen… Sheena/Zelos

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Rain poured in sheets down the streets of Meltokio. As the thunder struck again, a frightened little girl ran through the unfamiliar slums, splattering mud on her pristine lavender boots. _"Where am I?!_"

Her thoughts began to race as she searched for a landmark, anything she might recognize, but alas, nothing seemed familiar. This was after all her first visit to the big city. "_Why am I so stupid?"_

"_How could I lose them? I'm not blind…_" She thought again, glancing back and forth from one cold gray house to the next. "_I didn't lose them… I didn't! I turned around and they were gone… I turned around and…_"

Suddenly, a cold realization dawned on her. She hadn't left them. They left her.

"_No! No no! That can't be right! It can't be…" _Finally, she could not run any more. Silently, she collapsed into a tiny heap on the muddy ground, balling her hands into fists. She shut her eyes tightly to ward away the painful thought. Tears mingled with the rain as it poured down her cheeks. "_Daddy… where are you?!"_ She sobbed, pounding her fist into a puddle, not caring where the filth splashed.

It took her a moment to realize it, but something was different. It was still raining out, she could hear it all around her, but for some reason… she couldn't feel it on her back anymore. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up to find a bright red umbrella held over her.

"Hey cutie, what'cha doing out here in the rain? You lost?" An overconfident boy's voice drifted down from above her.

She tilted her head backwards even more until she could see the person standing above her. The boy was holding the umbrella over them with one hand and tugging at a bright crimson lock of hair with the other.

"W-w…" She stumbled over her words, at a loss of what to say to this mysterious stranger. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. In a flash of anger, she caught the stranger's hand and pulled him down to his knees next to her. "What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?!! Are you a thief?! You're not getting my money!"

"Aiee relax! Relax hunny!" The boy's face contorted somewhat in a mixture of shock and pain. With some effort, he managed to wrench his wrist out of her hand. "You're sure not very nice. I was just trying to help you! You'll catch that nasty cold that's going around if you stay out here. And then you'll have to drink that awful potion stuff for a week! Ugg!"

This boy confused her. Never before had anyone reacted to her like this, and certainly not after she had attacked them! He either had some guts, or he was incredibly stupid. "Who… are you?"

"Zelos Wilder, the great Chosen of Tethe'alla at your service!" The red haired boy bowed as much as he could while kneeling in the mud, delivering his line with practiced expertise. "What may I ask is your name?"

"You're the Chosen?" She blinked in disbelief, ignoring his question. For the small number of years she had been alive, she had always imagined Tethe'alla's chosen to be a tall, dashing knight, brave and true to his word. Boy was she wrong. "A little runt like you can't be the Chosen! You… you're too… too…"

"Too perfectly dreamy?" Zelos grinned, placing a hand to a small white bandana he wore in his hair. "Yeah, I know I am, but you never gave me your name. What can I call you, my cutie?"

A small scowl formed at her lips. "No! That's NOT what I was going to say, and I'm NOT your cutie! I'm Sheena! Call me by my name!"

"Ahh so the feisty cutie has a name!" Zelos nodded in appreciation, standing back up. Holding his hand out to the muddy girl, he grinned anew. "Well then Sheena, would you mind accompanying me back to my home? I could use some company, and you could use a bath."

-=- Sheena obtained the title "Muddy Girl" -=-

"WHAT?!!" Sheena bellowed, slapping the Chosen across his cheek with primal fury. "How DARE you!!"

"Oww! That hurt!" He pouted, holding a hand up to his fair cheek.

Sheena seethed in the rain, breathing deeply a few times before snatching the boy's umbrella from him. "Fine! I'll take you back home, but I'm taking this." Resolutely, she began to march away.

"Oh the difficulties of being a hero…" Zelos sighed, finding the rain that poured on him mildly upsetting. "Uhh angry girl? You're going the wrong way."

"I knew that!" Sheena glowered, then marched back the other way, passing Zelos by again. "And don't call me names!"


	2. Can I Trust You?

Marika: Yay! This fic has made it to chapter 2!!!

Kratos: That is a very low number to be celebrating.

Marika: ::pushes Kratos out of the fic:: Quiet you! You're not in this story! Ahem! Thank you so much to those who reviewed! Reviews make my world go round! :)

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SapphireLove: Thanks! Believe it or not, there's a point to these random titles…

Sakasha: Thank you, reviews are good for the environment. :)

Chibi Presea: I hope it continues to be good! I've already started the next chapter, actually!

Lor: Nope, it's not a one-shot! I thought this fic was just to cute to stop at one.

Kitsune Asakura: Thank you so much for all your help with Sheena's background! I don't think this fic would have been nearly as accurate without your help. (Nor would it have made as much sense… lol)

Luv2Game: You wouldn't believe how hard it is to write them younger! I'm so tempted to write them as the adults they are now, but then I have to go back and think, "Hmm… would Zelos really know _that _word when he's this young?"

Aznboy714: Hey there's nothing wrong with a guy liking a good story! Well… at least I hope it's a good story…. lol

Potter29vo: Thanks again for all your reviews! You're so encouraging, and you inspired this fic in the first place! :)

That should do it for reviews, till next time, enjoy the fic!

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A few minutes later, they arrived at the house of the Chosen. Immediately, an older man, presumably his butler, rushed to his aid, distressed to find Zelos's clothing all muddy. "Master Zelos! Wherever have you been?! And… oh dear… what have you brought back with you this time?" He glanced over at Sheena as if she were an unwanted stray kitten that Zelos had found. Again.

"Relax gramps. This is Sheena, she'll be staying here for a little while." Zelos waved a hand in the air casually, plucking the wet umbrella from Sheena's hands and throwing it to the side of the room. "Run a bath for her, and have a room prepared for the night."

"Are you…" The butler began, but at a harsh glance from the young Chosen, he nodded and left. "… as you wish, master Wilder."

"Quit calling me that gramps, it gets annoying." Zelos called after him.

"Dreadfully sorry, master Wilder." The butler bowed again and left to do said duties.

--Zelos obtained the title "Charming Aristocrat"--

In the meantime, Sheena had begun to glance around Zelos's house. "You… you really _are _the Chosen, aren't you? I had thought that maybe you were just making it up, but…"

"That's right! 100 pure Chosen in this fine body!" The red haired boy grinned and pointed a thumb at himself.

Shaking off the boy's stupidity, Sheena questioned him again, without looking up at the grinning boy. "Then why… why would someone like _you _care about someone like _me_? And what were you, _the __Chosen__ of Tethe'alla_, doing out in the middle of a rainstorm?"

"My darling, I am here to help damsels in distress. So what if I choose to walk in the rain with my newfound hunny? I'm a Chosen all right, a chosen hero!" He placed his hands on his hips and laughed loudly, aggravating the drenched girl even more. Sensing that he was doing so, he quieted down a bit. Walking over to where the girl was standing, staring much too deeply at a rather heinous statue, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Taking a gamble, he decided to be much more forward than usual. "Sheena, I saw what happened. You were left behind, and I just couldn't sit by and watch that happen!"

-- Sheena obtained the title "Abandoned Waif"--

A lump caught in the girl's throat. Perhaps the Chosen wasn't as stupid and worthless as she had assumed he was. Did he actually care about her? Shaking her head, she cursed herself for thinking these things. "Heh, yeah right. You're just making this up to… to…."

"To do what?" He asked openly. "I don't have any reason to trick you. I just want to help."

"Do you?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, gazing at him with softer eyes. He seemed like such a nice boy. She really wanted to believe what he said. But then, a thin grimace grew on her lips, and she cast her gaze down towards the floor, as she continued to think of thoughts that had been troubling her since she first met the Chosen. "I… I lied before. If you really are the Chosen, and it looks like you are, I _have _heard about you. I've heard not to trust you."

"Why would someone say that? I'm the type of guy that responds to people's trust!" The red haired boy held his hands forward, palms towards the air in a very exasperated yet innocent manner. Then, putting all facades aside, he bent down ever so slightly to gaze softly into the muddy girl's eyes. "Sheena, I'm not trying to hurt you. I want to help you, if I can. There, now don't I sound sincere?"

"I don't know…" Sheena trailed off, fighting the urge to laugh at his somewhat witty comments. Zelos didn't seem like a bad guy to her, at least not yet. He seemed to be genuine and sincere. However, she had heard far too much about the ill practices of the Chosen of Tethe'alla. If he was just going to use her, then it would be better to forget this entire masquerade right now and find a way home by herself.

Sheena needed to know who to trust. She had been abandoned by her family, whom she had loved, or thought she loved, and now she had been left behind yet again by her so called 'family' from Mizuho. Wouldn't it be icing on the cake if the Chosen of Tethe'alla himself also betrayed her? With an expression that could be described as none other than deathly serious, she gazed back into his sky blue eyes. "Can I trust you?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Zelos smiled, taking her hand gently in his own. "Of course you can trust me."


	3. Dinner?

Wow, this chapter was a _long _time in the making! Sadly, my attention has been stolen away lately by my Kratos fic, "Tainted Disposition." But, here we have chapter 3! And as always, many thanks to my reviewers!

Karana Belle: no no! This fic is far from done! Just… put on a temporary hiatus for a while. Thanks! I'm glad someone liked the titles! :)

Ani the youkai princess: There is more! Here is more! lol

Zakari: Really? You like Kratos and Zelos too?! Awesomeness! And about Kratos X Lloyd… ehh… I'm not going there. lol

Kawaii Yoshi: Yay! Another person who likes the titles! :)

Kitten Kisses: Thank you! Since they're kids I was banking a little on the cuteness factor. :)

Gothickia: Yes, they're both kids here, Sheena is probably around 7, but Zelos is a good 3 years older than her, so he's about 10. And as for Zelos's flirting…. I think it's just something he was born doing. lol! No, he doesn't mean to hit the hay with her….. yet.

Arcia: Thank you! I was a little worried about my interpretation of Zelos, afraid that he would end up sounding like Kratos, as silly as that sounds.

Pottter29Vo: Yes you inspired me! Thanks for inviting me to the C2 community! I hope to update this sooner next time…

Jellybeanz225: Ah the question of length… ::wink::

Kitsune Asakura: Thanks! I really feel for Sheena, because she reminds me a lot of myself. I mean… I wasn't abandoned or anything like her, but she is so spirited and persistant, I'd really like to see her grow during this fic.

Oreokids87: Thanks! That's what I like to hear! :)

NakigoeMizuKibun: Wow… that name is a mouthful… haha. Thank you! And without further adieu… more of the fic!

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Then, before she had the chance to say another word, like a dainty Frenchman, he brought her small hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips softly. "Madame (he learned that one from that one guy with the hat), if you'd care to join me, dinner is ready." 

Before she knew it, she was sitting next to the red haired boy at a long wooden dinner table. He sat at the head of the table, eating his food with unrivaled speed, and she sat at his right, staring blankly at the food in front of her.

"… is this what you always eat for dinner?" She asked, holding up a piece of an omelet on her fork with uncertainty.

"Yaah! sh'his 'Suff's Guurate!" He said, smiling and trying to talk even though his mouth was full.

"Uugh, you _can't _be the chosen! You're so… so dirty!" Sheena folded her arms and looked away, disgusted with the thought again. Within moments, she found a small piece of omelet wiggling at the end of a silver fork in front of her nose.

"Sheeeeena, eat the omelet, don't let it eat you!" Just for effect, he added a little "rawr" sound that seemed more like a lewd innuendo than the feline growl he had intended. Or had he intended it that way?

Without even the slightest thought, she knocked the fork away, across the room, earning a grin from the Chosen. However, she did pick up her fork and begin to eat this breakfast/dinner resolutely.

"My what a violent girl! Sheena you must be the bane of _all _the guys from your village." Zelos let the words roll smoothly off his tongue, as he picked up his spoon to continue eating.

-- Sheena obtained the title "Violent girl"--

"Oh yeah? Well you're a stuck up brat!" Sheena exclaimed, after swallowing a forkful of omelet. "You've got no sense at all! You eat breakfast for dinner, you walk around in the rain, and you're just so… so stupid!"

-- Zelos obtained the title "Stuck up brat"--

"Ouch Sheena, why you gotta cut so deep?" He rubbed the back of his neck, as if she had physically wounded him with her words. Then, as if nothing had happened at all, he clapped his hands. "Time for dessert!"

"…dessert?" The girl repeated, only halfway done with her food. But before she knew it, servants had taken her omelet away and replaced it with a small cake. "W-what?!"

"You've never seen a shortcake?" Zelos chortled merrily as he began to eat his cake, just as quickly as his omelet. "You're really deprived aren't you?"

Sheena fumed, but ate the strange cake nonetheless. "What would you know? You've lived your whole life here with servants to wait on you hand and foot! You don't know anything about the real world!"

The red haired boy sighed softly. "That, my dear, is where you are wrong. Sometimes I wish I knew nothing of the world…" For a short moment, the boy stopped his ravenous eating and gazed softly at the dinner table with a look of near regret. However, that didn't last too long, and he looked up again at the dark haired girl with a smile. "…someday we'll go on a journey Sheena, and I'll show you the world!"

The girl's expression melted to one of disbelief and irony as she thought again of how strange this boy seemed. "Where did that come from?"

"Does it matter? We'll visit Altamira, and the city in the clouds, and so much more!" He said, a childish grin spread across his happy cheeks. "But for now… you need to visit the bath. You're so dirty."

"You brat! I'm going but not because you're telling me to, but because I _want _to! You stupid…" Sheena fumed again, not finishing her sentence, or her shortcake. She marched quickly away from the undesirable chosen and followed a servant that lead her to the bath. _"Where does he get his kicks, telling other people what to do?!!"_

"This way miss…" The butler spoke as he lead her upstairs.

"Sheena." She replied perhaps colder than she normally would. But that Chosen was so infuriating!

"The bathwater is hot, so I would advise you to take caution." The butler explained, showing her around what looked like a 5 star bathroom. Oak tables, chairs, and hutches furnished the marble stone floor of the room that was painted a light hue of blue. A pile of towels and a tiny silver dinner-bell sat comfortably on a small caddy next to the large circular bathtub. "Towels are over here for your comfort, and there is a bathrobe that should fit you hanging over there on the wall. Do ring if there is anything else you should require." He spoke, indicating towards the towels, bathrobe, and bell. With a bow he took his leave and shut the door.

"Whew, thought I'd never get rid of Mr. Stuffy." Sheena rolled her eyes and glanced around the room. She wasn't really surprised that the Chosen would have such comforts, but even so, the sight impressed her. When she touched the tips of her fingers to the hot bathwater, her eyes nearly watered with happiness. How long it had been since she had been in a hot bath!

Within moments she was soaking in the tub, scrubbing the caked mud off her body and out of her hair. After that was done, she sat and relaxed, thinking to herself out loud, "So this is the Chosen's bathroom… this hot water does feel nice." Sighing she sunk down to her chin in the water and closed her eyes. "I wonder if he isn't as bad as people say. Maybe… he's a good guy?"

She shook her head then, a foul thought in her mind. "But wait! What if he only wants to play the part of prince charming? "Rescuing" me from being left behind…"

But at that thought, she stopped thinking of the Chosen all together, the bathtub she sat in, and everything all around her. "Why did they leave me?" Silent tears began to stream down her cheeks, mixing with the bathwater. "I… didn't do anything wrong…"

She didn't know how long it was she sat there in self pity, but finally she sighed, long and deep. "I… can't believe they would have left me for no reason. This must be a test… or something." Slowly at first she began to nod her head. Then, as the thoughts multiplied in her head, it made more and more sense until she was nearly smiling with delight. "Yes, yes! It's a test, that has to be it! A test to see if I can find my way back to Mizuho without help from the village!"

Sheena was so elated at the thought that she jumped out of the water cheering loudly. Deciding that she was done with the bath anyhow, she reached for the pile of towels.

But… not before the ill-fated Chosen of Tethe'alla opened the door. "Sheena, are you ok in here? You're not drowning are you… Gah!!!" His eyes widened when he saw Sheena's nude backside, and he remained stuck in place, staring until a towel hit him in the face.

"PERVERT!!!!" Sheena screamed, snatching another towel and covering herself with it quickly. With a wrath like none other, she stormed over and slammed the door shut.

-- Zelos obtained the title "Pervert!" --

"I'm never trusting that Chosen again! Never never!" Sheena said angrily as she dried her hair and threw on the bathrobe. "I'll just have to leave now and find my own way back!"

Just as she was about to do so, she realized just what she was wearing. "Ooh…. This won't look good. If I go back wearing this… they'll know that I had help somewhere, but my clothes…." She glanced back at her clothing, which was now thoroughly muddy and soaking wet. It was then that she knew she would have to spend the night. Shutting her eyes tightly, she moaned loudly in frustration.

The door peeked open again, this time just a peek. "Sheena? Are you…"

"Go away!!!" She shrieked again, slamming the door shut again. Grumbling something about the 'stupid Chosen' to herself, she started scrubbing the mud off her clothes.

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Marika's Notepad:

Hmm, there's not too much to say here this time. I know this chapter took a long time, but hopefully the next will not take as long!

For those of you keeping up with Tainted Disposition, I'm very disappointed! The Yay or Nay on Kratos and Raine is STILL a tie!!!

But as for this fic, the eventual pairing should be pretty obvious. (It's only in the Sheelos C2 community fics!)

And… as always… please review! :)


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